Monday, April 29, 2013

Chennai Super Kings fielding coach Steve Rixon recently commented that they are yet to nail down their batting positions this season. Despite this, it is amazing then that the 2-time champions are happily leading the standings with 7 wins in 9 matches.

Their score of a nicely rounded 200 today against the Kolkata is their highest of the tournament yet confirmation that after a sloppy start, MS Dhoni boys are quite the team to hit now.

Michael Hussy exceptional form this season continued making many wonder if he had erred by retiring from international cricket. The Aussie pro who will be 38 in a month has scores of 20, 86*, 6, 65*, 40, 88 and 45, and he backed them up with an innings of 95 today full of trademark front-foot swing to the leg-side and placement so fine, he would shame the best recruitment firms.

Hussey performances have rather masked the short-comings of Suresh Raina. The IPL top run-getter has been underwhelming this summer. Today, Raina got his act together, in part because Hussey and Wriddhiman Saha 103-run stand had set the stage for the No. 3 to express him freely. Raina did not disappoint, making 44 off 25 to keep the high run-rate rate up.

Chennai are the clear leaders at the moment while defending champions Kolkata are languishing in 7th place. It would take an extraordinary turn of events for Gambhir team to make the play-offs now.

Delhi Daredevils sent Pune Warriors to the bottom of IPL 2013, with a 15-run win at the brand new Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh international stadium on Sunday.

Chasing 165 for victory, Robin Uthappa and Aaron Finch began in earnest, with a 76-run partnership forthe 1st wicket that lasted 10 overs. Uthappa then tried to clear a delivery from his legs to the long leg fence, only to find the ball in Unmukt Chand’s hands. Good catch.

Three balls later, Aaron Finch was unlucky to be given caught behind by umpire C.K Nandan, who felt that the right-hander had nicked the ball to the keeper as it went down the leg side.

Friday, April 26, 2013

M.S Dhoni could barely watch. Dale Steyn had unleashed a quick, short delivery at her husband, who had half-fended, half-pulled it high into the air. The ball swirled in the night sky for what seemed like an eternity – Ms. Dhoni manicured hands still barring her vision – and dropped down and out of a sloppy Amit Mishra hands at fine-leg.

Relief spread through Ms. Dhoni face like Indian ink on blotting paper. For Mishra, who had in the preceding 10minutes taken out Michael Hussey (45) and Murali Vijay (18) to get Hyderabad back into the match, had just let slip the biggest fish. Dhoni had scored naught then, and he went on to compile a perfectly-paced 37-ball 67, including 3 stunning sixes off Steyn - guiding Chennai super kings to another home win.

Late charge

if the first half of Dhawan’s knocks had been sparkling, the second was brutal. Dhawan and Reddy smashed 43 in just 16 balls, the left-hander particularly severe on the medium-pacer Rohit, while Reddy reserving special treatment for Bravo, who was carted for 16 in the last over.

59 runs in the last 4 overs brought Sunrisers in with a chance. But Hussey surety at the beginning of the chase and Chennai ability to turn it on at all the right moments especially at Chepauk saved them the night yet again.

Thursday, April 25, 2013

Mumbai Indians win a final-over thriller at the Eden Gardens as they beaten Kolkata Knight Riders by 5 wickets, with a ball to spare, on Wednesday night. Chasing 160, Mumbai needed 10 off the last over when the well-set Kieron Pollard was caught on the 1st ball, a slower delivery, by Rajat Bhatia.

Ambati Rayudu scampered a single on the next delivery, leaving the requirement at 9 from 4. Harbhajan Singh, who had been clobbered for 26 in the opening over of the match, then atoned for his bowling lapses by swinging a maximum over the mid-wicket region, pretty much deciding the outcome.

Man of the Match Dwayne Smith (62) had provided the boost to the chase, while Captain Rohit Sharma (34) and Pollard (33) steadied the middle to build a platform for the launch. Mumbai had earlier survived a disastrous 1st over, to hold back the home side to 159 as Pragyan Ojha, Mitchell Johnson and Lasith Malinga picked up 2 apiece and gave away very little.

Birthday 'boy'

On his 40th birthday, Sachin Tendulkar faced his 1st delivery only in the 3rd over and did not do much before Sunil Narine snuck one through the gate to flatten the middle stick. Smith had not looked too believable early up. He opened up against Iqbal Abdullah, carting the left-arm spinner for 4 of his 5 sixes and bringing up his half-century in 34 deliveries.

Both Smith and the in-form Dinesh Karthik (7) were out speedily. The latter trapped in front by Senanayake and the former mistiming Narine in the air to be sloppily caught by Brendon McCollum, who was also involved in another crucial event at the boundary.

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Six no.1 came off Mitchell Marsh. Gayle stood with his broad shoulders, front foot out of the way, and the bat in the air like always, muscling the ball over the long on fence. The man stand and deliver stance was in record-breaking mode. So much so, that by the end of over, 28 runs had been milked, courtesy 4 sixes and 1 four. Chris Gayle had brought up his 50.

It was only the fifth over of the match.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar gave away only a wide, to restore some amount of sanity. But that was because Dilshan was batting. Pune brought the spinners on, in the hope that they could force a mistake out of the big man at the other end. Deliveries, arm balls do tempt the best in the business into going for the wild hoik.

Wrong. As Ali Murtaza and Aaron Finch were carted all over the ground. Finch was smashed for 29 and he wisely took himself off the attack. But that was not going to stop Gayle from taking his left foot off the gas. The West Indian had raced to 95, and when he was offered the strike, smashed a full toss from Dinda to bring up his hundred off just 30 balls. The fastest ton in T20 history, going past Andrew Symonds, who brought up his triple figures off 34 deliveries for Kent in 2004.

Gayle removed his helmet, revealing a black bandana. On his knees, soaking in the applause. He was not going everyplace. Balls were hitting the roof, and had to be replaced.

Dilshan managed to get a little more strike, but fell to Wright for 33. Nobody knew why Pune were celebrating. Murtaza came back to bowl in over No.14, only to be smashed for 28 runs, with Gayle bringing up his 150, with a 6 off the sixth ball of the over. Virat Kohli gave him the rocking chair tribute, but wouldn’t hang around till the end, after being run out for 11.

AB de Villiers then joined Gayle, and the duo continued the run riot, with Marsh again being singled out for particular treatment. Royal Challengers Bangalore would go on to end with 263/5, the highest-ever in any T20 match. Gayle would remain unbeaten on 175-the highest individual score in T20 cricket.

There is nothing one can do to stop Chris Gayle when he gets going, and that is something that every person knows. But when the man with the most famous dreadlocks in cricket, smashes 17 sixes and 13 fours, you know that he is taking it to another level all together. Little did Pune Warriors captain Aaron Finch know that his decision to win the toss, and bowl first, would be the start of the end?

His bowlers would have been better off bowling wides. So much so that when they came out to chase, they ended up making 133/9. 11 batsmen making 42 runs less than what one man army- Chris Gayle, managed all by RCB. The only Pune Warriors player who crossed fifty was Mitchell Marsh.

56 to be precise. But that did not come off the bat. Bangalore won by 130 runs. Not too sure if we wanted to mention that. It was a match between Chris Gayle and the Pune Warriors.

Chasing Rajasthan 186-run target, Hussey and Vijay got off a sedate start, taking just 3 singles off the 1st over from Ajit Chandila. Rahul Shukla however was not as lucky as Mr. Cricket struck 2 fours in the second over, to get things started for the hosts. He then smashed a six off Chandila in the following over to help CSK move into 1st gear. One single later, Chandila would celebrate.
Last Thrilling 11 needed from 6.

It would be a contest between Dwayne Bravo and Shane Watson. Chris Morris did the right thing, taking a single to give Bravo strike. Watson sent down a dot ball, before Bravo went inside out, to hit a six over sweeper cover. The West Indian then took 2 runs, after hitting a full toss to long on. Needing 2 runs off 2 balls, Bravo again took 2 runs to help Chennai register a 5-wicket win. As his team ran from the dugout, he took his helmet off and celebrated with a spontaneous jig.

Before suffering the ignominy of bowling the last over with the ball, Shane Watson had done well in his padded avatar, hitting the 1st century of IPL 2013, to help the Rajasthan Royals rake up a majestic total of 185/4. The right-hander struck 6 sixes and 4 fours, carrying on while he was losing partners at the other end. Not that they could be blamed, for the Aussie was hogging the lion’s share of the strike.

Monday, April 22, 2013

It came down to 29 from 12 in the end, with David Miller (80*) and Mandeep Singh (77*) at the crease. The penultimate over began with Ashok Dinda being smashed for 2 fours by David Miller, one down the ground, and the other past point. Both deliveries being full tosses. It took a soothing gloved arm from Robin Uthappa to help Dinda keep his nerve. Giving away 3 singles is all right. But when Mandeep took 2 off the last ball, courtesy a misfield from third man Rahul Sharma, Dinda offered a mouthful.

Was it in Bengali or in English? Difficult to tell.

Luke Wright came in to bowl the last six deliveries. Miller and Mandeep traded strike, and the South African readied himself for the last 4 balls. Wright bowled full, and was smashed for 6. 2 runs later, the target came down to 6 from 2. Man-of-the-Match Miller got a dull full toss, and was more than happy to send the ball over long off for a six, and was speedily surrounded by his mates from the dugout.

That is a great way to end a cricket match.

It did not look like a Kings XI Punjab show at the start of the match though. Adam Gilchrist dropped Aaron Finch on one. When it was his turn to bat, the normal came out with a different set of gloves and a bat. He edged the ball like his matching part, only to be caught by Pune keeper Robin Uthappa.

These 14 alphabets decided to fire, with 15 boundaries from the bat; as the Delhi Daredevils went on to register their 1st win of IPL 2013 with 9-wicket win over the Mumbai Indians at the Ferozeshah Kotla on Sunday.

Chasing 161 for a win, Sehwag smashed his way past Mumbai indians with some uninhibited hitting. The 34-year old made full use of the room that the bowlers were offering, and he swing away with an entire stadium getting behind him. Not that Mumbai did not have a chance. Jasprit Bumrah could have caught a ball that Sehwag hit to him at short well leg side, but he failed to move forward, and the ball ended up beating his knees.

Sehwag ensured that he would bring Mumbai down to their knees.

The ‘Nawab of Najafgarh’ unleashed a brutal assault, as 4 and 6 started to rain at the Kotla. At the other end, Mahela Jayawardene decided that he was not going to be left behind. The Daredevils captain drove and swept his way to a well half-century, punching gloves with Sehwag as they placed Delhi on track for an easy win.

Though the Sri Lankan fell leg-before-wicket to countryman Lasith Malinga, Sehwag signed off by hitting Bumrah for a four to bring the smiles back on the faces of the Delhi Daredevils.

Friday, April 19, 2013

Delhi Daredevils fell to their 6th loss in as many matches this season as Chennai Super Kings whipped the basement-dwellers by 86 runs at the Feroz Shah Kotla.

It was the same old story for Delhi. They allowed Chennai to 169 and floundered in the chase as the big 3 wickets – Virender Sehwag, David Warner and Mahela Jayawardene tasted another group failure.

Selecting to bat, Dhoni was once again served by Chennai most prolific contributors, which included the captain himself. Hussey paced his innings wonderfully, scoring just 24 off his 1st 27 balls and 41 off the next 23, including sixes off Ajit Agarkar and left-arm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem.

The Aussie added 60 with Raina (30) before changing gears for a rapid 74-run union with Dhoni. The pinnacle of the partnership came about when the tall South African fast Morne Morkel was taken for 19. Dhoni was dropped on 17 by Agarkar at long-off and he made Delhi pay with a blistering cameo that contained 5 four and a six.

Thursday, April 18, 2013

Rajasthan Royals put collectively a convincing win on Wednesday; beat the Mumbai Indians by 87 runs atthe Sawai Mansingh stadium, to move to the 1st of The IPL points table.

Chasing 180 for victory, Mumbai were never really in the hunt as they lost openers Ponting and Tendulkar to Ajit Chandila. Tendulkar went for the sweep, only to find the ball in the hands of the short-fine leg fielder. Ponting played across, and the ball flew straight into Chandila hands.
Mumbai Indians would finally fold for 92, succumbing to their heaviest defeat in the tournament.

The Australian joined Rahane in the center, and though the opener managed to bring up his 50 runs, the batsmen were finding it hard to clear the boundary. Thankfully for the hosts, both right-handers cut loose in the last over, taking Mitchell Johnson for 19 runs to power the Rajasthan Royals to a total of 179/3.

Amit Mishra took out four wickets in an over, including a hat-trick, as Pune Warriors suffered a collapse of epic proportions to go down by 11 runs against Sun risers Hyderabad on Wednesday. Pune lost their last six wickets in 12 balls for just seven runs, losing after dominating 90 per cent of proceedings.

Mishra, who had earlier salvaged Sun risers with an impressive 30, came in to bowl and had Mathews second ball, conceded a single to Pandey on the third, and then wiped out Bhuvneshwar Kumar before castling Rahul Sharma and Ashok Dinda, the latter with a perfectly disguised goodly for a super hat-trick.

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Ravi Rampaul kept his wits with both the bat and the ball to help Royal Challengers Bangalore win the Delhi Daredevils in a super over at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium.

Bangalore sent Gayle and de Villiers for the six-ball(i over) tie-breaker, and the former overcame a slow start to hit 2 sixes off the last two balls from Umesh Yadav. Delhi needed 16 runs to win. Warner and Ben Rohrer came out for the mini chase. Ravi Rampaul began practicing his runup with RCB bowling Coach Venkatesh Prasad and Virat Kohli describing the field that would be set for him.

David Warner was caught by Chris Gayle at point off the very first ball. Irfan Pathan walked in, made room and polished off a four to the square leg fence. A dot ball later, he walked across to lift a ball over his head to the backward square leg fence. He could only manage a single next, and it came down to 5 runs from the final ball, with Rohrer on strike.

Ravi Rampaul sent the left-hander’s off-stump for a walk, and began his celebratory run. It wouldn’t have come to all this, if RCB hadn’t messed up their chase.

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

The side with the poorest recent record in IPL pulled off what is in the main considered to be the competition toughest assignment a victory over Chennai Super Kings at Chennai.

Pune Warriors, without Yuvraj Singh and skipper Angelo Mathews, managed specifically that on Monday night by a margin of 24 runs. The visiting side 1st posted 159 through bursts at the top and bottom of the order and then limited Chennai to 135/8 in the chase, as Bhuvneshwar Kumar came up with a stand out performance with the new ball.

The young Indian seamer returned figures of 4-1-12-2, the scalps coming early on in Chennai chase. Pune had earlier been served well by opener Aaron Finch 45-ball 67 and Steven Smith, who returned to the team and contributed a fast fire 39 and three smart catches in the deep.